In search for solutions to the rational use of internal space, manufacturers of household appliances, specifically for household refrigerators and freezers, seek to evolve the concepts of adaptability and improvement of the useful space.
The use of shelves in refrigerators aims to provide additional spaces for storing items to be refrigerated, enabling an improved use of the space. This approach, however, limits the use of internal space to items with size compatible with the distance between two subsequent shelves, often conflicting with larger items that need additional space, whose presence is not always frequent.
Thus, it seeks to develop shelves that can be displaced, allowing the release of internal space in accordance with user need.
Detachable shelves arise as a first option, but have the drawback of requiring the product to be stored out of the refrigerator when not in use, which is not always desired for reasons of practicality and even hygiene.
The next step leads to the promotion of sliding shelves in support rails, which can be moved forward or backward so that the user is able to easily access the food. However, they are limited regarding the positioning do not present the possibility to be arranged to save space relatively.
Even with many options for support and wide range of arrangement of accessories, it appears that the prior art presents an optimization problem space according to different usage needs and is also deficient in providing new arrangements for shelves.
State of Art Analysis
Document U.S. Pat. No. 5,199,778 discloses a shelf device for refrigerators that allows the allocation of food storage shelves at different levels, with an adjustment system to adjust the shelves to the size of the food in the vertical direction, but differs significantly in nature and movement characteristics involved in this invention, not colliding with the inventive aspects in question.
Document U.S. Pat. No. 6,220,682 shows a shelf system for refrigerators that includes a wide range of shelves that have opposite sides and are placed in parallel inside the refrigerator and mounted so as to have a selective movement in the longitudinal direction, but provides a retractable displacement, thus is differing itself from the inventive aspects presented herein.
Document U.S. Pat. No. 5,454,638 describes an adjustable shelf system for refrigerators, including a shelf rail to support the partial width. Although the objective of the invention is to slide shelves on a rail, the nature of movements and the design of the rails differ from the aspects presented herein.
Document U.S. Pat. No. 5,299,863 describes a refrigerator with movable inner frames containing a sliding unit inside in the form of a plurality of shelves. It substantially differs from the concept presented herein for not having movement and position variations.
Abstract of the Application
The present invention relates to shelves of refrigerators and freezers, internally arranged and substantially rectangular-shaped, with external frames equipped with recesses and protuberances, in which some of them slides in support guides, which supports both said protuberances, as the shelf itself, depending on where they are positioned. The sliding characteristics in the guides and rotation feature around an imaginary axis, enabling to bounce, allow the shelves to be arranged, at least, in four different positions, according to the required space for the food packaging and also the positioning of these foods in the refrigerator.
In a preferred embodiment the shelves can be arranged in for different positions, the first position contemplating the shelves totally extended, one facing the other. A second position presents the shelves in the retracted position. A third position is obtained in which after retracted, the shelves are bounced vertically. In a fourth position it can be configured so that only the rear shelf can be bounced, while the front shelf remains extended.
The shelves present a central area, substantially rectangular-shaped, which is in its turn, partially encompassed by a frame. The front shelf presents a frame supplied with side protuberances, which may have different sizes and shapes, being said protuberances essentially slide on support guides. The rear shelf presents a frame supplied with a lower recess, substantially round-shaped which accommodates a protuberance of the front shelf, and also is fitted in the side support guide.
The said support guides can be fixed in the internal side of refrigerators or freezers, or may still be stuck between internal parts, such as fixed compartments, support of drawers, or other accessories placed in the refrigerator. Alternatives mounting configurations are also possible as a version in which a guide support is secured to the side of the appliance and another tab is locked in an internal accessory such as a drawer or an ice maker machine. Further, in a constructive embodiment, the guides can be fixed in the side wall itself of some inner accessory.
The external frame and the support guides, in a preferred embodiment, are made of hard polymer. In other embodiments, they can be manufactured with metal alloys, or even comprised other materials, according to the pertinent variations. Likewise, the base, preferably composed of semi-transparent polymer, can be even in glass, metal or other materials according to different uses. In a main embodiment, the base is uniform. In other embodiments, said base can be comprised by grids in different arrangements or even be provided with holes or characteristic relief
This type of sliding shelf solves several problems of the art for providing a smooth sliding, without relevant noise and with great ease for moving parts. It also provides an unprecedented arrangement of shelves combination, causing to be obtained different configurations of space without removing any part of the unit. Additionally, it provides shelves that, besides offering smooth movement, have a solid support after displaced due to the practical fitting and locking system.
Objectives of the Application
The first goal is to provide sliding shelves in support guides that can be arranged in different positions according to user's needs, changing different space settings according to different needs.
A second goal is to facilitate the movement of shelves with smoothness, practicality and great noise reduction.
A third goal is to fix the shelves in the end positions by means of fittings and locks.